ONE YEAR IN SELF-PUBLISHING
FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELLA E-BOOK
| It's been one year since the publication of the Ella e-book. Where has the time gone? To say it's been a crazy, whirlwind year would be an understatement. The first year in this self-publishing adventure has been filled with surprises. Almost none of my assumptions were correct. That said, here are some thoughts on self-publishing from my first year. The most important statement I can make is this: self-publishing is a massive and constant amount of work if you want to make a name for your writing. |  |
In no way am I saying I went into this endeavor thinking that self-publishing was an easy road. However, it has lived up to and exceeded expectations on the amount of effort it takes to keep your name out there. Readers see a veritable deluge of books pitched at them on a daily basis and you must work hard to be seen in a crowded field.
The second point that jumps out at me - the question most asked by readers - are you glad you chose to self-publish? The answer is an emphatic YES! Being able to maintain control throughout the publication process and ensure a quality final product was a matter of utmost importance to me and I'm glad I chose to self-publish the Ella book.
The next question I get asked daily - what advice do you have for writers considering self-publishing?
My answer is simple - I have published one book and one year of experience in this business so I'm not going to give a list of advice other than this: seek out experienced and successful authors and model your behavior on what those excellent writers have done. Russell Blake comes to mind. If you want to sell a large amount of books - follow, copy, and be inspired by his lead. Produce a large volume of quality writing is his basic advice.
Second, after you learn that the most important thing is to produce a large body of work, an author needs to learn the ropes of social media. For that I suggest following the posts of Rachel Thompson. Her excellent articles on how to 'do' social media as an author will form an excellent basis of how to brand yourself. Follow her!
The first year as a published author has been amazing and there are so many people to thank. The most important and central to everything I do has been my amazing wife, Maggie. She's there at every step to help with ideas, motivation, being my first and constant reader, and offering the support I need on this crazy journey. I couldn't do it without her.
I also must thank the editor of the Ella book, Su A. Joo - she helped bring this book from manuscript to final published product. I can't thank her enough.
Also integral to the process has been Marielle van Broekhoven. Her stunning cover art inspired and pushed me to perfect the novel and helped make the character of Ella truly life-like. Thank you for the amazing art!
The final thank you goes to the readers of this website. I thank you for the time you take from your day to visit and I hope you find entertainment and thought-provoking posts. Thank you for all the support with the Ella book and I hope you'll stay with me as other books arrive in the future!
From Moran Publishing in Las Vegas,
Stephen John Moran
The second point that jumps out at me - the question most asked by readers - are you glad you chose to self-publish? The answer is an emphatic YES! Being able to maintain control throughout the publication process and ensure a quality final product was a matter of utmost importance to me and I'm glad I chose to self-publish the Ella book.
The next question I get asked daily - what advice do you have for writers considering self-publishing?
My answer is simple - I have published one book and one year of experience in this business so I'm not going to give a list of advice other than this: seek out experienced and successful authors and model your behavior on what those excellent writers have done. Russell Blake comes to mind. If you want to sell a large amount of books - follow, copy, and be inspired by his lead. Produce a large volume of quality writing is his basic advice.
Second, after you learn that the most important thing is to produce a large body of work, an author needs to learn the ropes of social media. For that I suggest following the posts of Rachel Thompson. Her excellent articles on how to 'do' social media as an author will form an excellent basis of how to brand yourself. Follow her!
The first year as a published author has been amazing and there are so many people to thank. The most important and central to everything I do has been my amazing wife, Maggie. She's there at every step to help with ideas, motivation, being my first and constant reader, and offering the support I need on this crazy journey. I couldn't do it without her.
I also must thank the editor of the Ella book, Su A. Joo - she helped bring this book from manuscript to final published product. I can't thank her enough.
Also integral to the process has been Marielle van Broekhoven. Her stunning cover art inspired and pushed me to perfect the novel and helped make the character of Ella truly life-like. Thank you for the amazing art!
The final thank you goes to the readers of this website. I thank you for the time you take from your day to visit and I hope you find entertainment and thought-provoking posts. Thank you for all the support with the Ella book and I hope you'll stay with me as other books arrive in the future!
From Moran Publishing in Las Vegas,
Stephen John Moran
